Portfolio Help

I just read this very insightful and refreshing blog entry about What to Put in Your Portfolio (geared mostly towards gaming and concept art applicants). Here is Part Two.

As someone getting ready to apply to Grad Schools for Illustration in the Fall, this is extremely helpful!!

Fishy fishy

Came across this gorgeous piece while browsing... I completely fell in love with the rendering and textures. I want to take more of this kind of direction in my work. I want to move away from people viewing me as doing "perfect, completely rendered, smooth" realism. That's boring.

TT A TT;;;

I love birdies and fishies *squee!

{ fishhair by *CrankBot on deviantART }

AX Plight / Commission Lineart

Once again I am staying up too late. Doh! I always do this.

I'm adjusting to life back on the East Coast. Missing a certain someone, but that is to be expected. This weekend I will have the pleasure of seeing my college roommate Amber, and I am So. Excited. 8DDD

I can't believe AX is in less than 2 weeks (holy shit!!!!), and I am heading back down to MD tomorrow to finish up all of my merch stuff, prep, and make some secret special goodies !

On that artful note, here is a recently finished commission. I'll be taking some more of these very soon - I need money!!! This con has drained my bank account and I am kind of pissed that I'm not even going to break even because I am no longer living in LA. Boo. Journal up on my DA. Hopefully there is someone who might be willing to help me out with accommodations.

Anyways, commission:

Sneak peek

Dear wonderful blog followers,

I am posting this sneak-peek only for you :) It is found nowhere else on the web - excitingggg

"Miss Peacock" (or some other silly title I think of)
Art/WIP (c) Erin McManness 2010
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She is obviously still VERY MUCH in WIP stage. Is it weird that her top knee is my favourite part of the whole painting? And perhaps her shown elbow.

I have been stuck on California time since my move this past Saturday, and am only very slowly getting around to East Coast time. So enjoy all the late-night postings.

We're in the thick of my cousin's wedding at the moment, rehearsal is tomorrow, and I have to sing. Wish me luck - I haven't done this in some time.

Other than that, I'm going to start looking for jobs in NYC next week, and start hardcore prepping for AX, which is coming up so quick I don't even know what to do with myself!

{ Without you
the ground thaws
the rain falls
the grass grows

Without you
the seeds root
the flowers bloom
the children play

The stars gleam
the poets dream
the eagles fly

Without you
the earth turns
the sun burns
but I die, without you. }

Trading West for East

It is a haunting thing when you realize that that "someday" is now "tomorrow".

I have been living in LA for nearly a year now, and on Saturday I am flying back to the East Coast to find a job on that side of the world. My time in the Sunshine State has been eye-opening, refreshing, and one huge learning experience, and despite being homesick, now that the time to leave it has arrived, I feel strangely tied to this place.

Maybe if I continue to sit on the couch and not pack my stuff, maybe time will stop and I won't have to move. But, like all things in life, things change. I haven't even been sad until this moment. I don't view this as a sad move. I am excited to see my friends and family, and I'm excited to be back where I grew up, where I feel really safe; I'm excited for new adventures. But it's no secret that I'll deeply miss my man-friend, one of the rocks of my life. It just won't be the same.

I am afraid that I am leaving opportunities for dead-ends. Ironically enough, I stumbled upon this quote, which I will leave you all with:

{ You must once and for all give up being worried about successes and failures. }

"Bang Bang Mrs. Wow" by Erin McManness 2010
www.lii-chan.deviantart.com